Falling apart (Renji and Rukia fic)
by steffindahouse
Summary: Rukia seems to fall apart, just minutes before her promotion as a lieutenant, while remembering their shared past... One-shot.


**I have the feeling that they have too much to talk yet, but they always seems to postpone their needing of speak. But who knows, maybe they talk during their time in Soul Society, and that's how I got inspired and wrote this.**

**As I always say, your opinions are so welcome, and I hope you enjoy reading this ^^**

* * *

'Oi, Rukia, get up and watch this! Rukia!' shouted Renji, crossing the door of Rukia's room.

'Mmmm...' was Rukia's response, as she turned to the other side and continued her sleep.

'Rukia, today you're going to get promoted! Wake up, baka-mono!' Renji insisted, grabbing and pulling the futon on which she was resting.  
Rukia fell headlong on the floor and rolled over herself, finally awakening.

'What's wrong with you, moron?' she shouted, holding her paining forehead with both hands. 'Is there anyone outside dying, or is it the end of the world?

'Em.. nope'.

'Then bring it!' she yelled, while punching his jaw strongly.

'Ouch, Rukia, you've gone too far with that punch, it hurts!' he protested, grabbing his jaw, half-tearing.

'If you want some more, come to me and wake me up the way you've done before, fool!' she said, turning back and crossing her arms, indignantly.

'Ok, ok, I'm sorry for that, but this is so important, Rukia, you are about to become a lieutenant and.. . Isn't it exciting?'

Rukia turned to look at him, her anger suddenly had vanished.

'Yeah... it is' she asseverated, smiling slightly.

Renji stared at her so intensely, like if he was reading her mind. Something was bothering her, he could notice it, but he was clueless about the reason of her concern.

'Renji' she said in a soft voice which announced that something from her deepest feelings was about to emerge. It was almost painful to hear her speaking in that way, he always ended up shattered when this happened in the past. 'Renji, do you... do you remember our life in Inuzuri?

So that it was... Their common past in the Rukongai. The only thing none of them had overcome.

'How could I forget it' Renji said thickly, lifting his head and letting his eyes wander, lost in memories.

They were just kids, living in the worst place of Rukongai. Always near starvation, in constant danger of being killed or harassed by adults, sleeping in cold places, being dumped wherever they had gone, stealing in order to survive... But she was with them and it had been like a ray of daylight.  
He wondered what would have happened if they wouldn't have known each other... They were the only survivors of the group. They were five kids at the beginning, but... The 78th district wasn't a place for kids with no spiritual powers... It was hard to forget all the things they had to go through in that place.

'Yes, how could we...' Rukia muttered, lowering her head and closing her eyes, embracing herself, as if she was cold.

Renji looked down at her, trying to guess what was disturbing her that much. Perhaps she was feeling guilty... or maybe she was thinking she didn't deserve living like this, while their friends were rotting in a hole... He had those thoughts before, so maybe she was having them too.

'Rukia' he said, dropping his hand in her tiny shoulder, startling her. 'That wasn't our fault. We can't change the past. Once you said we were different from everyone else in here, because of our life in Rukongai. And that's truth. We are different in many ways, but that doesn't mean we don't deserve to grow and achieve our goals, and surpass them, living the life we were looking for. You've worked hard to become a lieutenant. The hell, you've worked much more than I did, so you truly deserve it! Stop torturing yourself with awful thoughts, Rukia'.

Rukia grabbed his hand and softly let it fall from her shoulder.

As she did that, Renji had a flashback of their last day together in the Academy, the day she told him that those noble people had proposed her adoption into Kuchiki's Clan...  
He then, had encouraged her to accept the offer, even though he knew that meant the end of their friendship.  
She would become a noble and he... well, he would have to work hard to reach her position, and meanwhile, she would live happily the life of nobility.

But little he knew that fourty years had to pass until he could reach her, and, during that time, she had been almost all alone, suffering the lost of her lieutenant, Shiba Kaien, killed by her own hands while defending herself, and constantly overprotected by her brother-in-law, Kuchiki Byakuya, who never agreed to promote her as a seated officer, in order to keep her safe.

He fucked up in that time, being away from her when she needed him the most.

And now she was leaving the room, like she had done then. But this time he won't let her down.

'Rukia' he called, grabbing her arm, and turning her to meet her gaze, filled with tears. He felt his heart torn apart, watching her suffering like this. He wasn't aware that their past disturbed her in that way, but he actually couldn't notice it, as they had never talked about it before. Rukia was the type of person that buries her feelings deep inside, specially if those could harm her in some way.

'I'm fine' she lied, lowering her gaze.

'I'm sorry, I failed you in that time. I got away, like if I wouldn't care about you, I know I fucked up then, but now... I won't. I'll be by your side, Rukia, no matter what happen to us, I don't care, nothing can get me away from you anymore. I'm here, Rukia. Please, allow me to support you whenever you feel like. You are not alone, we've lived the same shit, we can speak out our minds, we can get through this, Rukia... We'll do, together, I promise. Let me carry your burden for a while... and get ready for your promotion, you baka... Today is your day' Renji dried her tear-stained face, with his thumbs, and drew her to him, holding the back of her head.

Rukia grabbed his kimono and buried her face on it.

'Arigato, Ren-chan' she said, causing him to smile widely.

After that, Rukia took her clothes from her wardrobe and, smiling at him, she lifted them and pointed at the door with her head, subtly dismissing him.

'Ja ne, Rukia-chan' he said, stroking her hair before walking away, heading to the first division, to watch her appointment as the Lieutenant of 13th Division.

'Ja ne, Renji' she responded, while Renji was shutting the door. 'Ja ne...'.


End file.
